actresque:
Of course the servants worship the ground the insufferable little shite walks on; it was foolish of her to even ask. Grelle has experience as a servant, after all, and knows that it’s improper to speak poorly of your master, even out of earshot from them. (Not that she ever would have spoken poorly of Angenlina back when they were in the peak of their relationship.) Clearly she’ll get no good gossip from Rin today.
“So he’s perfect, then, is what you’re saying. A flawless little angel.” Grelle gives a harsh scoff, then fishes a pack of cigarettes from her purse, not asking before she lights one up indoors. “Certainly not Sebastian’s type.”
The nicotine doesn’t help with her bad mood, but at least the cigarette gives her something to focus on.
“You could say that.”
A century and a half would likely be considered long to most people. But it isn’t as though they were ever friends; enemies, yes, and occasionally begrudging allies, but never friends. Even when they were very briefly lovers, they weren’t really friends. She sighs, watching the smoke curl up from the end of her cigarette, wondering where the time has gone.
“Not to worry, I’ll be out of your hair soon enough. I’ve got more productive things to do than stand around listening to everyone tell me the sun shines out of his Lordship’s arse.”
Add a headache to the list of things she’s dealing with today.
Rin opens her mouth to protest when Miss Sutcliffe lights her cigarette, but quickly thinks better of it. She knows when to pick her battles, and this—this just isn’t worth it. Lady Shiori probably won’t mind terribly, in the grand scheme of things. If she even comes back to this part of the house soon enough to notice in the first place.
No—there are more important things than that.
“No one is perfect,” Rin says carefully, steadying her voice as best she can. She is a servant of the Genpō family—Mr. Sebastian would surely tell her that that includes far more than physical threats. “But—Lord Kiyoharu is a good person. I-I don’t see what’s wrong with being a good person.”
Sebastian’s type. That makes Rin flush—with what? Discomfort with the notion? Embarrassment on Mr. Sebastian’s behalf? Or—she’s not really sure. But it’s inappropriate to be talking about, surely—
“I-It’s not my place to—it’s Mr. Sebastian’s business what, um, what his type is.” Still talking about it. Stupid, stupid, get it together— “I apologize, b-but I shouldn’t be speaking of such things...”
Some deeply buried part of her wants to tell Miss Sutcliffe everything, all about the tension that’s been hanging like smoke in the air since Lady Hanae’s death, about how strange she’s found the change, how off-balance she’s been left by the way Mr. Sebastian seems to almost guard every private moment with Lady Shiori with a jealousy Rin doesn’t think is like him at all—
But it wouldn’t be proper. And there wouldn’t be any point, when even the little she thought she knew about the man is probably far from the truth.
She wonders what he was like when Miss Sutcliffe used to know him. She doesn’t think she wants to know.
She swallows the questions that linger in the back of her throat and bows her head.
“If that will be all, um—I should return to my duties. I-if you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to call...”
